This page is devoted to insightful information we collect as we go about a daily work, travel around the world visiting casinos and attending conferences:

Meet a Casino Slots Jedi

Casino slots are under attack! According to Darrin Hoke, Director of Surveillance at Lauberge du Lac Hotel & Casino, the scams are numerous and the vulnerabilities continue to surface. For two hours on day one of the 2010 WPGC I sat with my mouth open as Darrin spoke on the top 10 slot scams and vulnerabilities. I wonder how many casino owners are aware of the “dark side” of the casino slots world.

However, Darrin didn’t leave us gasping for breath at the “dark side”. He’s a true “Slots Jedi”. Darrin has been in the war zone for many years and has a wealth of experience and advice to offer. His top 10 slot protection strategies is a must read for any surveillance director. Of the 10 strategies, I felt the most important one was “Engage”: Surveillance are often afraid of the slots system because of it’s very technical nature and as a result it’s left in the world of IT. Surveillance need to be bold and get to know the system. You can only engage when you’re well prepared. Simple but true.

Make sure you’re up-to-date with slot scams and vulnerabilities. As Darrin said, “The greatest gaming scheme is on the go right now. No-one knows about it except the crooks.”

Darrin Hoke and Graeme Powell @ WGPC 2010

Eyes and Ears

Surveillance departments are the “Eyes & Ears” of a casino and when given the right tools and incentives can add tremendous value to the overall casino experience.  I read an interesting article by Bill Zender and Willy Allison regarding amongst other things the function of a surveillance department and the value that good logging software can add to a surveillance operation. The entire article can be found at World Game Protection and is a worthwhile read. According to Herbert Simon, “a wealth of information creates a poverty of attention”. With the right tools and incentives, surveillance departments can go beyond just “protecting casino assets”, to adding value to customers and casino owners?